The Washington critic., 1887-09-28
DRINKING IN THE ARMY.
Captain Grny's Case and what He IIR-
IN ....- In. NJ n..I. n..I.nlr


to say in His own Behalf.
A CRITIC reporter met Captain Cyrus NJ.
Gray, late Of the Twenty fifth Infantry, this
morning, and asked him II he had anything
to say In answer to the interview had with
General Drum published In Mondays
CRITIC, wherein General Drum says he has
no knowledge Of his filing charges against
Captain Forsythe, as was published In the
New York World on Monday.
Captain Gray replied as follows:
"les, | have read the remarks OF General
Drum as published. In order that he may
no longer doubt the existence OF charges
against Colonel James w. Forsythe, Seventh
CaNalry-who periured himself before my
court, and who was guilty OF conduct unbe.
coming an officer and genteman-l to day
handed the General a copy OF the charges In
person, the original belng signed by me,
August 81, 1857, and delivered to the com
mauding officer ut Fort Meade, ID. I
Colonel FOrsythe lied In his testimony
against me, the belief of General Drum to
the contrary Notwithstanding. That fact is
plain to any one who ever read his testl-
mony, General Drum says Forsyth Is
man OF honor Then why did he not pre-.
fer charges against the two officers OF his
own regiment who were recently most
iagran,y drunk on duty? Why was |
singled out ~
''Did Colonel Forsythe single you out be.
cause he bad grudge against youYn
ayes, he hated me. lie told me II ever
he had chance he would swear mighty
hard against me- In this matter he did
not lie. lie made his word good. General
Drum is gallant old veteran, and | have
no desire to antagonize so distinguished
man, but he is way 'otl his base.'u
"ln what way Is he of his base {? "
sin two ways: Flrst--W When he says |
was worried by drink. do not admit that
1 am worried My brain is as clear and
my body as sound as they ever were.
was convicted OF two drunks inside OF half
an hour. With my record OF twenty-five
years had every reason to expect elem
ency. have been told by an officer of
high standing that | was not put out on
the record Of my court, but on clandestine
letters that were furnished since my trial.
These papers are on file in the Office of the
Acting Judge Advocate General OF the
Army, and although | applied for them,
have not been permitted to see them.
Again, the General talks OF matter he
knows nothing Of, when he talks OF drink
ing In the army. Years ago, when he was
with the army, he knew and saw what was
going on. Now that his duties coniinc him
to Washington, what does he know Of the
habits Of officers at remote posts? II an
OHCtI is COuIL luhItldleu Hc HeAlS VI ~, OF,
perhaps, he learns through an inspector
that such an officer is addicted to drink.
| But, as rnle, officers keep shady when
| the inspector is on deck. Hitherto | have
| not said a word about the army
| "You don't mean to say that drinking,
as charged, is prevalent in the army at this
time, do youY''
| "No, do not mean to say that drinking
is excessive among the officers, but | do say
that fully three.fourths Of them drink, and
who Of those can plead mot guilty to one or
more drunksP No army In the world was
ever better oGlcered than is our little
army to-day; and yet to say that they all
wear the blue ribbon is simply to deny facts
aud expose ones ignorance. In conclusion,
let me say that would have paid no atten.
| tion to this article had not the General, in
| his remarks, led the public to believe that
| am common drunkard, and this l indig.
nsntly deny. 1t took our blue ribbon army
| officers twenty-five years to discover In me
| single case Of drunk on duty, and, strange
| to say, my court found me guilty Of drunk
| on Duty when was neither drunk nor on
| duty, and acquitted me Of drunkenness:
when was druuk.n